Loopy

What a wonderful story... thank you for sharing it. Sadly now it’s only top 3 who go through (if they have Honours)... from each semi. I love that you have such a strong memory of this event .... I hope my DD will have made memories that will stay with her too! 

25 minutes ago, Moka said:

I realise that performers in the West End don't often break into a dance mid song and so appreciate the ability to have a musical theatre section but this is All England Dance, so I felt dong a grapevine or a strong head move wasn't quite enough.  Also, there are many times people struggle with the time limit to get the essence of the song and some dance in, so I feel this needs to be clearer.

 

As I said, I was very impressed with the ones I saw, they were certainly of West End standard, I was just a little confused. 😜

 

 

I def agree with you about the time... it’s really too short to do full justice to some songs. I quite like that it’s a more professional

type of performance. By the time they are 16 performers should be being prepared for real staging and this really shows their singing and performance capability in a world where the triple threats will be the ones who work. 

(I appreciate not all competitors want to go on to work in the industry.). 

I agree it’s confusing though. 

Up to the age of C section it is called Song and dance, after that it’s Musical Theatre. Basically I think of solo MT as being the presentation of a song as you might see it in the professional theatre. Although you do still see a mix. The lead in a show will rarely combine a song with loads of dance ....  it would make it hard for them to do justice to some very complex songs. That why we often see song, followed by dance, in the younger years. The most important thing in either section will be the song.... the ability of the person to hold a tune and engage the audience. Yes - the older ones do still need to show they can dance - but it doesn’t need to be a lot of movement to prove that. All IMHO...  

This thread was specifically talking about the AED 2019. I’ve reread The article mumof dancegirls referred to (I’d  read it when it first came out)... and I agree with much of what is said. However, the issues Mr P writes about do not usually apply to the AED festivals. No pointe work is allowed under 14, ‘tricks’ are very much disapproved of, dances that have variations or steps that are clearly beyond the level of the dancer are often commented upon by adjudicators saying they prefer appropriate levels of steps for the child. Music is generally carefully chosen not to have inappropriate lyrics or too adult a meaning..... 

Mr P says “That audience(s) should be looking for an expressive dancer trying to communicate emotion, dynamics, musicality, storytelling ability, alongside an accomplished, clean technique relative to their age.”

I’d say that’s what I see AED encouraging and promoting. 

He also says :Competitions can be a great platform for dance students to gain valuable experience. 

He recognises the value of well run competitions. 

I don’t have much experience of other competitions so cannot comment on those.

I do have experience of a bored dad. 

I also have experience of a bored mum and dancer!! (Rather be doing than watching). 

Thx

Character has come through Classical Ballet, which is where Character roles can still be seen.  However the AED has said Character can be any genre suitable to the character being danced... (there is a description In the syllabus of the AED) .  Some adjudicators still have a definite preference for classical but, having said that, the dance that got Silver at the Regional we went to was Contemporary. I think they are going for a Great characterisation of whatever character is chosen. 

ParentTaxi. Yes that would contribute to the number of schools who do and don’t attend.

also.... if a school has qualified a number of students in a particular discipline that tends to mean they are good at teaching that discipline and therefore more likely to have winners. (Hope that makes sense). 

Some schools are ‘AED’ focussed and also good at teaching technically for that competition they tend to appear in the winning names a lot. 

Even knowing all of this, I don’t envy the adjudicators - they often have a very hard job with lots of very good dancers... 

sometimes I agree with their outcome, sometimes not.  For me - the Regionals are one thing ..... it’s the actual Finals that throws out all the rules and it’s impossible to judge. Some (often) very unusual adjudication. But hey.... c’est la vie. And it’s a lesson for budding performers. You can be fabulous but you won’t always get chosen - that doesn’t mean you’re any less fabulous! 

Hi Mrs Brown,

ive noticed a tendency toward more relaxed and generous marks in a non qualifying year, the same festival and adjudicator may mark differently when they know

its a qualifier. 

Hello again. Well my DD is almost at the end of her Regionals... Last day for us tomorrow. I’ve seen some Wonderful dances, amazing arrangements and creative choreography. I haven’t always agreed with results - but mostly I can see why the placings have been as they are. 

One thing we have all noticed this year in SW is that far fewer Groups have been put through to Finals. And adjudicators have been tighter with their marking than I’ve ever seen before (this is my 5th AED cycle). Are other regions finding that too? Today we watched 8 Character Groups, only 3 qualified to Finals. Yesterday saw  12 song and dance groups, only 3 qualified. Is it like this is all the areas?? 

2 hours ago, richieN said:

 

I often think the judges marking criteria should be more transparent. Perhaps like gymnastics or ice skating, where they have criteria like artistic impression and technical merit etc.

 

Im pretty sure most judges are looking for those things and more. I’ve scribed for adjudicators and have been fascinated by what they pick up on. I don’t envy their job when they are trying to choose just 3 from over 100 dancers who are all

lovely. 

I’m surprised so few schools attend MN. DD competed in a Senior Modern group section yesterday that had 26 dance schools!! The modern section for 9-10 had 102 dancers!! 

Really? We’ve had two of the three adjudicators in m/n and one has always been brilliant and I’ve never sensed a bias! The other I don’t much care for - but it’s all subjective at the end of the day. 

Yes please

Do you happen to remember anyone else who qualified? It’s driving me nuts that we aren’t seeing positions posted. I guess it’s GDPR and all that. We will be there tomorrow... yikes 

Hi. At the SE too? Or another region? 

I did a dance degree back in the days when it was almost impossible to find the course offered as a degree. I would NOT recommend it! My DD wanted to do a dance GCSE - thankfully I managed to talk her out of it (with a dance gcse teachers support!). DD has thanked me several times for this advice as she has been observing friends who did it! This might be contentious but dance as a degree (or gcse or a level) struggles to find an academic enough level to really be interesting academically, even though it may be challenging and stretching for the dance itself. 

I think I’d be saying to a talented dancer today - get decent A levels in subjects that interest you (not dance), then get out there and work as a dancer while you are young. Go to Uni after as a mature student to get a degree that will

open doors to your chosen “second career” . Best of both worlds... perhaps? 

OK... so anyone at one of the Regional Finals this week?? We are at the South East in Crawley. Standard is amazing this year!! 

Hi. Just wondering if anyone was at Star Tap Awards yesterday and what you thought of it?

Dance2dance. Your US friend gave a perfect description of both styles!!! I'm an ex contemp dancer (uk based) and current mum of dance competitor (all England etc). Those descriptions also hold good for the AED competitions. Contemp is based more in ballet than "modern".

Hi,

DD's teacher has just announced a new uniform for older girls. Frustratingly it has been designed as a fait accompli... And is low back and high leg! Not so good for a fully mature young woman (E cup). She has been wearing crop tops and sports bras, but has been told off as these are not considered subtle enough. Before I go out a spend yet more money on what may or may not be suitable support, does anyone here have recommendations on subtle, nude (?) support undergarment/bra. Goodness knows what will happen when exam time comes. :-( heeeelp!!!

Great! Thank you all. DD has choreographed Alice for a competition and I thought it was stylised. Then someone challenged me on it and I could find anything helpful to define it..... But what dr dance and pups mum have said is exactly what I'd thought. Hopefully it will be alright!

I'm confused by the term stylised ballet. Can anyone tell me what this is? How does it differ from modern ballet? Any you tube links to see some would be helpful.

I've pm'd you. Not sure if it would help... Maybe?

Sadly today I saw two instances of unpleasantness at a festival from the same school - from their teacher who exhibited very selfish behavior and then was very rude to another teacher. Poor children, what a dreadful example! I was also in the audience when a duet went on a started their song and dance.... You could very clearly hear tap being practiced in the wings!!!! Good grief!

Hi waitingmum. dancingdays is right. There was a three person tie for silver, and two for bronze. Points must have been the same. I even saw a tie for Gold in one section, which I've never seen before. Mrs Brown, were you at one of the Regional Finals as I'm interested in the comments you heard from the adjudicators.

It is interesting to hear the gym comment. At the last AED national final all three modern dancers placed in the section I watched had gym in the dances. I think there are mixed messages coming through to the choreographers on this. In the USA comps (very different I know) they have a rule of no more than 5 gym moves in a modern type routine. Then they have a separate gym dance section.

The one that surprises me is gym moves in lyricals. And of course, you do see the routines that are more like a gym floor routine.

One moan I do have .... I WISH they would split lyrical and Modern for the Inters too.... We had 63 routines in two sections, (which is exhausting to sit through, and goodness knows how the poor adjudicators cope) and then of the 10 that received honors 7 were lyrical.

Our experience has been mostly positive parents and children. The odd uncharitable remark overheard.... But I guess that comes in all walks of life, sadly. We were/are at South East Finals. A mix of results with some sections having no one get Honours, to one Modern solo section where 6 went through!! HUGE modern, ballet, tap and even character sections, all split B & C, and some D I saw. Incredibly high level of dancing, especially in tap D section... Wowzer. DD got her tap and Character through. Very proud of the latter especially as only 2 from 18 in her Part got honors. Lovely lovely groups to watch too! Modern C were wonderful (I thought!!), 10 groups in total, only two got honors, couldn't believe it! Glad I'm not a judge though. Such difficult decisions.